Switch-throwing mechanism.



c. s. EPPLEY. SWITCH THROWING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1915.

' Patented. Feb.19,1918.

CHARLES S. EPPLEY, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH'THROWING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed February 23, 1915. Serial No. 9,914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. ErrLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Switch-Throwing Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved mechanism carried by a car to be actuated by a motorman for actuating a switch operating mechanism, set forth, shown and claimed in the co-pending application filed 23rd day of February, 1915, Serial No. 9,913.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism of this nature comprising simple, efficient and practical features of construction.

In practical fields the details of constructicn may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch and the switch operating mechanism which is shown in the co-pendin application, with an outline of a car equipped with said mechanism for actuating said switch throwing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the car showing more clearly the construction of said mechanism of the car.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of said mechanism on the car.

Fig. 4- is a bottom plan view of a car showing another construction of mechanism for actuating the switch operating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of portions of the device or structure shown in Fig. 4-.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown mounted in suitable bearings 51 on the bottom of the car 51, two rockin shafts 52 and 53. The crank 54 of the crank rod 52 is pivoted at 55 to a push plunger 56, which is normally held up by spring 57 interposed between the collar 58 and the arm of the bracket 59. The arm 60 of the crank rod 52 has pivoted to it a pitman 61, which in turn is pivoted at 62 to the-arm 63 of the cross beam or member 64, the other arm 65 of which has the pitman 66 connected to it. The cross bar or member 6-1 is carried by and secured to the lower end of the vertical shaft 67, which is mounted in suitable bearings on the car, and provided at its upper end with a detachable handle 68, whereby the shaft 67 may be rocked. The crank arm 69 is connected as at 7 O to a push plunger 71 similar to the push plunger 56 and having similar attending cooperating parts. As the car moves along the rails 1 and 2 the motorman rocks the shaft 67 in the direction of the arrow (4, which pulls upon the rod 61, thereby rocking the crank rod 52 in the direction b, pushing the push plunger 56 downwardly, in order to contact with the upwardly projecting lug or nose of said angular spring tensioned lever of the switch operating mechanism, for operating the switch.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the rods 61 and 66 are pivoted to bell crank levers 73 and 74, which are pivoted at 75 to the angled ends of the transverse plate 76 on the bottom of the car. T he arms 77 of the bell crank levers 73 and 7 1 are pivotally connected respectively to the push plungers 56 and 71, which are mounted in said bracket plates 59, there being a fiat leaf spring holding the arms 77 of the bell crank levers adjacent the under face of the car. In operating this form of mechanism, the rocking rod or shaft 67 is rotated in the direction of the arrow a pulling upon the rod 61, which will actuate the bell crank lever 73, causing the push plun= ger 56 to move downwardly against the action of the flat leaf spring, and in contact with the projecting lug or nose of said angular spring tensioned lever of the switch operating mechanism, for throwing the switch. In either construction of this mech anism carried by the car, the reverse movement of the rocking shaft or rod 67 will throw the push plunger 71 downwardly.

T he invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is In combination with a car, brackets mounted upon the bottom of the car, push plungers mounted in said brackets, bell crank levers comprising transverse axially alined horizontal portions roc kably mounted in bearings on the bottom of the car, said alined horizontal portions having rearwardly and downwardly extending arms, the extremities of the rearwardly extending arms being connected respectively to the push plungers, a rocking device to be manually manipulated by the motorman and having a cross bar at its lower end, links connecting the ends of said cross bar and the lower ends of the downwardly extending arms of the bell crank levers, whereby as the rocking device ismanipulated in one direction or the other,

19 either one of the plunger-s may be depressed in the path of an element of a switch operating mechanism, and means for restoring the plungers to their normal positions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to'this specification in the presence of 15 @opics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D5 0'. 

